Swivel-coupling



(No Model.)

' .3 Sheets- Sheet 1. B.v HENLEY. SWIVEL GOUPLING.

Paten ANDREW B.GRANAM, PNOTOLI'MO WASHINGTON ILC.

3 Sheets- Sheet 2.

(No Modell) B HENLBY SWIVEL coUPLING.

Padzelltecl Apr. 21, 1898.

I VvE/waffl grown knomvfrfs.

AN DREW E GRAHAM. FNUTDLIWQWASHINGTON C 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

n B.HENLEY.

SWIVEL GOUPLING.

A fr0/m5 ys.

KV/TNESSES .1 l

lINrTnn STATES PATENT @Erica BROVN HENLEY, OF HILLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWIVEL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 558,808, dated April21, 1896.

Application filed May 4, 1895. Serial No. 548,091. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BROWN I-IENLEY, of llillsville,in the county ofLawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedSwivel-Coupling, of which the following is a speciiication.

Letters Patent No. 540, 162 have been granted to me for a swivel orpivot coupling adapted for connecting two parts that require to rotateon each other. My present invention is an improvement in the same line;but it is particularly intended and adapted for use as a iiftlrwheel forvehicles, and also as a coupling for singletrees.

The con struction and arrangement of parts are as hereinafter set forth,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, three sheets, inwhich- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a iifth-whe'el embodying myinvention, the same being on line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the mainclip which connects the rotatable parts of the coupling. Fig. 4. is aperspective view of the rotatable upper part of the fifth-wheel. Fig. 5is a perspective view of the rotatable lower or under part of the same.Fig. 6, Sheet 2, is a perspective view of a modified construction of adetachable section on line 10 10 of Fig. 9.

swivel-clip used for securing the under part of the fifth-wheel to theaxle. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a bifurcated swivel-piece forconnecting a double reach with the fifth` wheel. Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview of a swivelpiece for connecting a single reach with the:fifth-wheel. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a modified form of fifth-wheel.Fig. lO is a vertical Fig'. 11 is a vertical section on line 11 11 ofFig. 9. Fig. 12 is a section on line 12 12 of Fig. 10. Figs. 13 to 16,inclusive, are enlarged perspective views of detached portions of thecoupling. Fig. 17 is a front view of my invention applied as asingletreecoupling- Fig. 1S is a central longitudinal section of thesingletreecoupling. Fig. 19 includes perspective views of the three mainparts of the sin gletree-coupling detached. Fig. 2O is a transversesection on the line 2O 2O of Figs. 17 and 1S.

I will first describe the construction and operation of the coupling andconnections shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive. rlhe coupling shown insaid iigures is a fifth-wheel for vehicles and is formed of three mainpartsna1nely, an upper or socket part A, Fig. L1, and a lower or tenonpart B, Fig. 5, which fit together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and areadapted to rotate on each other, and a clip or tie C, Fig. f1, thatsecures said parts A B together. rlhe part A consists, mainly, of twohalf-circles 1 1, arranged oppositely, and a connecting diametricalcross-bar 2,which is provided centrally with an integral socket 3 andpivot 4t on its respective upper and under sides, and also with two setsof bosses and lateral perforated lugs 5 5, which are arranged betweenthe center 3 and half-circles 1 1.

The lower or tenon half B, Fig. 5l, of the coupling has also twoopposite half -circles 1' 1' and a diametrical cross-bar 2', which isprovided centrally with a socket Li. The said bar has two central arms6, that diverge oppositely and are provided with perforated bosses 7 attheir outer ends. From the lower central side of said bar 2' dependthree arms or shanks. (Marked 8, 8, and 8'.) These, together with theplate 9 and nuts 9', Fig. 5, constitute a clip, which in view of one ofits functions (hereinafter stated) and to distinguish it from the partC, Fig. 3, is termed the swivel-clip.7 Two parallel screw-Shanks 10,Fig. 5, are sidewise pendent from each half-circle 1', as shown, andconstitute an aXle-clip of an ordinary kind.

When the parts A B are fitted together, as shown in Fig. l2, thehalf-circles 1' 1' of part A and the pivot 4t of the latter enter socket4: of part B. Thus the two parts are adapted to rotate freely on eachother and constitute a light yet strong body for a iifth-wheel.

The upper part A, Figs. 1 and 2, is secured to a bolster D by means ofclips 11, whose parallel screw-threaded shanks pass through the holes inlugs 5 5 of cross-bar 2 and are fastened by nuts 12.

The lower part B of the fiftlrwheel is secured to the axle E and itsbolster E', Figs. 1 and 2, by means of the swivel-clips 8 8' and clips10, their platesand nuts forming parts of the same.

The main clip C, Fig. 3, secures the two parts A B of the fifth-wheeltogether and yet IOO permits them to turn on each other. It consists ofa flat bar 13, having a central pivot 14 on its under side, and twoparallel shanks 15. The said pivot 14 fits in the socket 3 of the upperpart A, and its shanks 15 pass through the bosses 7 7 on the ends of thearms 6 of part B, being secured by nuts 1G, as shown. The said bosses 7project vertically far enough to support the bar 13 of clip C,

so that its pivot 8 cannot be drawn down too tightly into the socket 3.

The reach of the vehicle may be single or double. lVhen single itsforward end is secured by screw-bolts between the parallel arms 17, Fig.S, of the swivel-piece F, and when double the two parts are similarlysecured between the two divergent sets of arms, Fig. 7, of thebifurcated swivel-piece F. The rear shank 8 of the swivel axle-clipbefore described passes through the eye 18 of either swivel-piece F orF', as shown in Figs. 1 and 11, and thus the front and rear axles areconnected strongly and yet simply. To prevent rattling due to wearvbetween these parts 8 and 17, I propose to employ a washer of anysuitable elastic material.

The rear part S of the swivel-clip may be made independent of anddetachable from the body of the clip, as shown in Fig. (3. In that casethe body of the clip will be provided with lateral perforated lugs orears to receive the detachable shank, and the latter may be secured by anut or spring-pin. The shank and clip-plate may also be made integral,as shown.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 to 1G, inclusive, the circles A B(see Fig. 9) of the fifth-wheel are made continuous instead of beinginterrupted or broken,but the cross-bar 2 of the upper part B isprovided with perforated lugs 5, as before, whilethe lower B is providedwith perforated ears or arms 6, Fig. 11, that extend inward fromopposite sides of the-circle. These lugs G take the place of vthe arms 6(forming lateral extensions of the cross-bar 2 of part A) beforedescribed and receive the shanks of the clip C, which secures the partsA B together. Another change consists in the connection between saidpartsand the swivel-clip 8 8 S, the latter being made separate anddetachable, Figs. 11 and 15, from the circle part B, and also providedwith a socket 3 in its head and an oblong projection 32 on its underside. The shanks 8 S of this form of swivel-clip embrace the cross-bar 2of circle part B', and the projection enters a corresponding aperture,Fig. 16, or socket 3'l in said cross-bar, so that the parts may turn oneach other. The socket 3 in the head of clip receives the pivot 4 ofpart A. It will be seen that the construction and arrangement of theclip enable the clips 10 of part B (shown in Fig. 5) to be dispensedwith; but at the point where they are located I propose to provideparallel pendent lugs, Fig. 10, that embrace the sides of the axle andbolster and serve to brace and strengthen the connection of parts.

In Figs. 17 to 20, inclusive, I show a modification of the invention,which serves as a singletree-coupling, A3 being the upper part and B3the under part of the same and C the clip. The parts A3 and BS havecorresponding central tenon and socket portions to adapt them to turn oneach other. The npper part A3 has vertical side lugs a, which areperforate to receive wood-screws or crossbolts a' for securing it to thesingletree G; but other screw-bolts may also be used for this purpose,the same passing up through holes in the ends of the part A3. The lowerpart B3 has similar vertical perforated lugs b to receive a cross-boltfor securing it to the cross-bar II of the vehicle-shafts. The body ofthe upper part A3 has openings a2, Figs. 1S and 19, to receive bosses bof the part B3, and said openings are enlarged laterally to permitsufficient movement-fi. e., oscillationof the singletree on the shaftcross-bar II.

Vhen the clip C is applied, its bar lies, Fig. 18, in a recess in theunder side of the singletree and its tenon enters the socket in top ofpart A3, while its shanks pass through the openings a2 in the latter,then through the bosses b of the under part B, and then through theshaft cross-bar Il.

lVhat I claim is- 1. In a swivel-coupling of the character described,the combination with upper and lower parts adapted to fit together androtate on each other, of a clip which connects said parts and allows duerotary movement of the same, the said clip having a bar that bearscentrally on one of said parts, and shanks which rigidly connect it withthe other part, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a swivel-coupling of the character described, the combination withtwo parts adapted to iit together and rotate on each other, the upperone having a socket in the upper side of its central portion, and theother part having perforated arms or extensions, of a clip composed of abar having a central pivot and parallel shanks, on one side, therotatable parts being connected as shown and described whereby the pivotof the clip enters the said socket and the shanks pass through the endsof said arms, as specified.

3. In a swivel-coupling of the character described, the combination witha vehicle-axle and upper bolster, of a coupling composed of an upperpart having a central socket and perforated bosses or lugs arrangedlaterally therefrom, a lower part having a central rotatable connectionwith said upper part and perforated arms, and a clip connecting saidparts, its top portion or bar having a pivot that rests in said socketand being made of less thickness than the projection of said bosses, asshown and described.

4. The combination, of the reach swivelpiece having an eye as spcciiiedwith the IOO IIO

IZO

Io necting With a reach, as shown and described.

6. In a swivelcoupling of the character described, the upper rotatablepart of the coupling having perforated ears, and clips Whose parallelarms pass through said ears for se- Y curing the coupling to theVehicle-bolster, as shown and described.

BROWN HENLEY. Vitnesses:

SoLoN O. KEMoN, CHAS. A. PETTIT.

